diff --git a/common/build-helper/numpy.sh b/common/build-helper/numpy.sh
index bf40390ad1c..e0856dbca7c 100644
--- a/common/build-helper/numpy.sh
+++ b/common/build-helper/numpy.sh
@@ -11,37 +11,43 @@ if [[ $hostmakedepends != *"python3-numpy"* ]]; then
 	hostmakedepends+=" python3-numpy"
 fi
 
-if [ "$CROSS_BUILD" ]; then
-	if [[ $makedepends != *"python3-numpy"* ]]; then
-		makedepends+=" python3-numpy"
-	fi
+[ -z "$CROSS_BUILD" ] && return 0
 
-	# python3-setuptools finds numpy libs and headers on the host first;
-	# adding search paths up front allows the target to take priority
-	CFLAGS+=" -I${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/${py3_sitelib}/numpy/core/include"
-	LDFLAGS+=" -L${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/${py3_sitelib}/numpy/core/lib"
-	LDFLAGS+=" -L${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/${py3_sitelib}/numpy/random/lib"
+if [[ $makedepends != *"python3-numpy"* ]]; then
+	makedepends+=" python3-numpy"
+fi
 
-	# distutils from python3-numpy looks to environment variables F77 and
-	# F90 rather than the XBPS-set FC
-	export F77="${FC}"
-	export F90="${FC}"
+# python3-setuptools finds numpy libs and headers on the host first;
+# adding search paths up front allows the target to take priority
+CFLAGS+=" -I${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/${py3_sitelib}/numpy/core/include"
+LDFLAGS+=" -L${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/${py3_sitelib}/numpy/core/lib"
+LDFLAGS+=" -L${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/${py3_sitelib}/numpy/random/lib"
 
-	# When compiling and linking FORTRAN, distutils from python3-numpy
-	# refuses respect any linker name except "gfortran"; symlink to the
-	# cross-compiler to that the right linker and compiler will be used
-	if _gfortran=$(command -v "${FC}"); then
-		ln -sf "${_gfortran}" "${XBPS_WRAPPERDIR}/gfortran"
-	fi
-	unset _gfortran
+# distutils from python3-numpy looks to environment variables F77 and
+# F90 rather than the XBPS-set FC
+export F77="${FC}"
+export F90="${FC}"
 
-	# Write a secondary meson cross file for numpy configuration
-	if [[ "${build_helper}" = *meson* ]]; then
+# When compiling and linking FORTRAN, distutils from python3-numpy
+# refuses respect any linker name except "gfortran"; symlink to the
+# cross-compiler to that the right linker and compiler will be used
+if _gfortran=$(command -v "${FC}"); then
+	ln -sf "${_gfortran}" "${XBPS_WRAPPERDIR}/gfortran"
+fi
+unset _gfortran
+
+# Write a secondary meson cross file for numpy configuration
+if [[ "${build_helper}" = *meson* ]]; then
+	_npy_meson_cross="${XBPS_WRAPPERDIR}/meson/xbps_numpy.cross"
+	_cross_py_site="${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/${py3_sitelib}"
+
+	if [ ! -e "${_npy_meson_cross}" ] || [ -n "$XBPS_BUILD_FORCEMODE" ]; then
 		mkdir -p "${XBPS_WRAPPERDIR}/meson"
-		cat > "${XBPS_WRAPPERDIR}/meson/xbps_numpy.cross" <<-EOF
+		cat > "${_npy_meson_cross}" <<-EOF
 			[properties]
-			numpy-include-dir = '${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/${py3_sitelib}/numpy/core/include'
-			pythran-include-dir = '${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/${py3_sitelib}/pythran'
+			numpy-include-dir = '${_cross_py_site}/numpy/core/include'
+			pythran-include-dir = '${_cross_py_site}/pythran'
 			EOF
 	fi
+	unset _npy_meson_cross _cross_py_site
 fi